foxland

1 hour ago, QueenofEverything said:

We have been on 2 one week Christmas Market cruises, one on Viking and one on Avalon.  Both were wonderful.  We were supposed to do the Rhine in December, but it was cancelled, so we rescheduled to next year.  One year it was terribly cold and one year it was very mild.  Notamermaid has given you great advice.  My advice would also be to do a one week cruise and add extra days on each end.  That will also give you much more time to visit the markets as you will be on your own schedule.  Some of the markets are very close to the ship (Budapest, Passau, Cologne), while others are not.  On the ones close to the ship, you can walk yourself to the market in lieu of the ship planned activity as long as you know when to be back.   Salzburg was snowy and beautiful, but that was about the only snow we saw.  The days are short as it gets dark around 4:00.  The markets are really wonderful and the people are very friendly.  Happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thankyou QueenofEverything .. I appreciate your comments and with comments made by others I may well be reconsidering my approach to selecting the right voyage ..

Foxland 🦊

6 hours ago, Ritabob said:

Foxland,  do you want to see a number of Christmas markets, or do you want to be on a cruise ship on Christmas day? We did the 2 week Uniworld Grand Christmas cruise which started two days before Christmas and ended in the new year.  The only actual market was in Nuremberg on the 23rd.  We enjoyed the cruise so much we did it again two years later.

RB 

Hye Ritabob .. I plan to be back in Australia for Christmas itself .. Sun, sand and snow white boomers 🦘..

Foxland 🦊

12 hours ago, KLRDUKS said:

We were on the AMA Sonata for Christmas 2014. (12/17/14 - 1/2/15) It was the Magnificent Europe (Christmas Cruise) that went from Budapest to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, AMA does not offer this itinerary anymore which is a shame because it is so great to be on the ship and unpack once. New Years on the ship in Amsterdam was amazing as we were in the center of all of the fireworks and partying.

 

To your question, it alternated between sweater weather and below freezing temps but not often. It did snow several days, including while on the boat which was fun. The day it snowed most, we were in Werthiem which was magical as we walked right from the ship into town. Some stores were still closed (it was 12/27) but several, including the glass blowing store were open as were many of the cafes and restaurants. I guess it really depends as others have said.

 

We are on back to back AMA Christmas cruises in December. AMA Lea Vilshofen to Budapest (12/10 - 12/20 with Prague Pre-Cruise) and AMA Lucia Basel to Amsterdam (12/21/21) We are taking the train from Budapest to Basel on 12/20 that goes through the Alps so very much looking forward to that as well. 

Thankyou KLRDUKS that sounds like a wonderful trip ..

Foxland 🦊

On 9/24/2021 at 11:43 AM, NavyCruiser said:

On our 3 One-week river cruises on the Rhine, Danube, & Southern France, probably 5 of the 6 ports were right in the middle of town.

Most port stops were mostly all day.

We're booked on the 14 day Viking Grand European cruise, Amsterdam to Budapest, mid to end of Nov, so hopefully we may catch early part of Christmas markets...

Thankyou NavyCruiser .. I may take a look at that trip myself .. altho not this year .. 

Foxland 🦊

Thankyou tfred and notamermaid .. your insights and comments are appreciated .. I will read and review the information being provided to see if I can crack the 'river cruising code' and get a better understanding of docking times and locations ..

As an ocean cruiser I have seldom encountered cold and wintry conditions .. so this trip has been selected intentionally .. what can I say - I used to be English .. and what better opportunity to buy a new sweater ..

'Foxland' 🦊

I am an experienced ocean cruiser but have never been on a river cruise. I am considering a Christmas River Cruise and favour a longer trip - say 14 days plus.

I naively imagined the boat pulling into a centrally located pier and walking off into a winter wonderland [snow, twinkling lights, mulled wine, beer and bratwurst] to experience the markets. However I have been reading reviews which talk about being tied up miles from anywhere, being bussed to town, and having very limited time to look around - sometimes as little as 60-90 minutes. None of which sounds very appealing.

So .. time to reach out to the CC Community and find out what their experiences have been.

Have you been on a Christmas River Cruise ? If so how was it ? Which company did you travel with ?

Many thanks 'Foxland' 🦊

Thankyou to everyone that responded .. allan

This is my first trip with Silversea and I wondered if anyone could advise at what time boarding typically starts and if a lunch is usually served on boarding day. The cruise information states between 14.00 and 16.00 but as a newbie I was unsure if this was fact or fiction ?

Seabourn says something similar but always serves lunch.

Many thanks in advance.

My wife and I booked into the Vina del mar Casino Hotel and it was wonderful. The morning before the cruise boarded we took a leisurely ride in a horse and carriage though the town and it was delightful. The subsequent transfer to the ship was quick and easy.

Allan

http://maritimematters.com/author/pknego/

This is a review of the Star Breeze .. and I have to say that I do like some of the modifications that Windstar have made to the 'Spirit' ..

I was also quite enjoying the review until I got to this line ..

Back on board, as we began to pack, the STAR BREEZE’s friendly, hard-working crew had just restored the whirlpool area on the Deck 5 fo’c’sle. The last elements of Seabourn’s shameful neglect were being remedied for Windstar’s future guests to enjoy.

Now I confess that I wasn't on the Spirit's last crossing before handover [we chose to travel on the Legend] but I simply cannot accept those three words together .. Seabourn - shameful - neglect ..

My experience of cruising with Seabourn, for the past 5 years, has been one of vessels in excellent condition and in the case of the Legend this was certainly the case until the very end.

Were you on the Spirit ? and is this how you remember it ?

Love the Buena Vista in SF, a great spot .. We will be in New York for St Pats Day .. and we are boarding the Legend in St Thomas USVI ..

Flying from Australia tomorrow .. see you soon ..

Allan & Robyn

My wife and I are ballroom dancers.

 

What is the dancing like on the Legend?

The Legend has a small dance floor in the club which isn't big enough for a 'proper' dance .. but the atmosphere is great :)

Time for another instalment Julie ..

Or have you slipped under the Seabourn Spell .. nothing to do and all day to do it .. pure luxury ..

Perth is hot and quiet without you ..

Allan

My fiancee and I will be honeymooning and cruising Seabourn for the first time on May 2, 2015..my birthday (Istanbul to Athens on Odyssey). We're up for mutual back scratching! :)

If that means you'd like to be the proud owner of a Referral Coupon worth $400 to both of us .. then I can help you out ..

Please email me at foxland@iinet.net.au

Cheers Allan

We have been thinking about booking the March 15 Legend cruise. I believe it is the last Caribbean cruise for Legend before it heads translatlantic before being handed over to Windstar. The timing and itinerary works well as we only have 1 week in March (and need it to be a Sunday cruise departure).

 

I'd appreciate any thoughts on the Legend and/or this itinerary. We are new to Seabourn and a bit apprehensive about sailing on the Legend so close to its departure from the Seabourn fleet.

 

Many thanks

We are booked on the TA, following your proposed cruise, and have every confidence that she will be in ship shape up until the handover.

The Legend was our first Seabourn ship and we loved the experience .. so much so that we have enjoyed a further 4 cruises with Seabourn since then.

You won't have the chance to experience a 'little sister' if you don't do it. So 'just do it'.

Allan

DH and I would like to enjoy a river cruise under the same (or very much the same) luxury standards of Seabourn. We are interested in the Rhone-Saone cruise from Paris to Nice. My research finds Scenic and Emerald as the two lux companies. Is this true? What would your recommendations be? Any comments about other companies I should review? Thanks!

As I understand it Emerald is owned by Scenic .. and is the lower standard of the two brands .. you might like to check out riverboat ratings dot com ..

Allan

Is it allowable to post a link to this?

As Eric 'G" is a travel agent I don't think it's permissable .. sorry ..

Hye Mr L ..

I know you're not a regular reader of Eric G's web site .. but his latest post is made after spending a day in Seattle with Seabourn .. and a few insights into the new ship .. worth a read ..

Allan

Many thanks for all of your input .. we booked to stay at Malfolie Hotel ..

Allan

We are joining the Legend in March 2015 in St Thomas USVI, before she crosses the Atlantic one last time .. her penultimate cruise ..

We like to acclimatise before we board, accordingly will be flying in a couple of days early ..

At this point I started reviewing hotels in St Thomas .. and it's mind boggling how bad some of the reviews are .. even for 'good' hotels ..

So, fellow Seabournites, do you have any personal experiences and/or recommendations for St Thomas, Charlotte Amalie ..

Thanks in advance ..

Allan

My husband and I are sailing on our first Seabourn cruise leaving Monte Carlo on October 3. Our final payment is due on July 3. Has anyone got a referral coupon available? We live in Australia. Many thanks and I look forward to hopefully hearing from someone.

Hye Pentygirl .. let me know if you are still looking for a referral coupon .. we are in Perth and just completed our 4th Seabourn cruise .. foxland@iinet.net.au .. Allan

We just returned from the Quest FL to Barcelona and had a wonderful time .. our experience is that you will be with a ship full of like minded travellers who love the sea days .. :)

Yes, we stopped at Funchal but would have been just as happy to sail on by .. :)

Allan

Hye Aussiechick7 ..

Congratulations on an excellent decision .. a Seabourn cruise is a game changer .. you may never leave them once you've tried them ..

First Question .. Yes, Seabourn is all inclusive when it comes to beverages .. you get to select your favourite drink for the mini bar in your room - champagne on arrival - and a full selection of beers / wines and spirits in the bars and restaurants ..

Second Question .. for information on the OBC checkout the first thread .. there are heaps of people happy to help you out [including myself, look for my post] ..

My wife and I live in Perth and we are headed off in a couple of weeks to join the Seabourn Quest .. and are already booked on the Seabourn Legend in 2015 ..

Happy Cruising ..

In my experience;

Shopping with the Chef in Funchal can be very entertaining .. a private coach to the markets .. and some bartering and sampling of fruits etc .. it is unlikely that the Chef actually needs anything but he may pre-order some fish.

High Tea at Reeds has been cancelled on my last 2 crossings, due to lack of interest.

The cable car and baskets are very easy to do on your own and are a lot of fun.

Here's a plan - go shopping with the Chef and when you finish at the market, opt out of the return trip and go and do the cable car and baskets.

Enjoy the day.

Allan

This is a very congested section with lot's of folk trying to find recipients for their much valued 'Referral Coupons' .. so I am only looking for the Virgin Aussies .. where we live .. which leaves the rest of the world to the rest of you .. seems fair to me ! :D

So, down to the details .. ;)

We sail in 39 days on the Quest .. which is why I am offering up the holy grail at this time ..

If you are a first time cruiser with Seabourn [in the near future preferably] and would like to take advantage of the $400 bonus that is available .. then contact me by e'mail because I have one for you .. :p

foxland@iinet.net.au

Looking forward to hearing from you .. and to returning to the Quest ..

Allan